The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1887-06-09
A FLIGHT.

It was ut Constantinople. We found
ourselves in fleet of sixty vessels, of oil
nations Ours was the only vessel flying
the American flag.
The time hangs heavily when ships are
| waiting for freights or winds to start them
into active service. Pera had become
dreadfully dull to us, and we had done up
| Constantinoplc and the surrounding coun-
| try to our hearts content. With the ex-
| ception of an occasional dinner at the
| consulate, there was no recreation to be
| had-no theatres or operas. A dozen of
Us tried to swim the Bosphorus from the
| point from which Byron was said to have
started. lie must have accomplished his
feat in the summer, for we signally failed
in tho attempt, owing to the temperature
| of the water, and were glad enough to be
taken on board our boats before we got
| half way.
Our only resort was a hotel which was
| kept by the wife of the captain of the port,
| who was in exile for murder. She was a
true type of Grecian beauty, a native of
| Athens, Just such @ person as the bard
| who swan so well would mmortalize in
| verse. Between the hotel and the landing
| where we took our boats for the ship was
| a distance of about three-quarters of a
| mile. Most of the streets were guarded
| by gates, which were closed at night, when
| no one was allowed to pass-unless sailors,
| who, with few piasters, could bride the
| guard to open for them at any time. We
never ventured to be out late unless we
were dozen or so strong; then we would
sally forth, lantern in one hand and pistol
in the other, ready to defend ourselves
against robbers, who did not hesitate to
take life. The Turkish authorities took
no notice Of troubles arising among for
eigners. The consuls were supposed to
care for the interests Of their own people
I saw Greek stab and rob an. Austrian
captain within twenty feet of Turkish
guard, who did not interfere, and who
showed less interest than he would have
shown at a fight between two packs of
dogs.
The street which was our regular route
| to the ship had O gate and guard house
| at either end. Blank walls about twenty
feet high extended some 500 feet along
both sides of the street. Behind these
walls were the palaces of two of the grand
| pashas. We could only see the windows
! of the upper stories; the magnifcence
| within was left to our imagination. AS
we were walking past one afternoon one
of the windows was suddenly thrown open,
and there appeared at it the most beauti-
full woman / had ever seen. We were
fairly electrified by her beauty. She had
defied well known edict in showing us
her face, as we knew. Instantly as she
appeared we saw her throw something
over the wall, and then she closed the
window. 1t was q note which she had
thrown. We all rushed to pick it up.
The prize was won by q Swedish captain,
who Immediately pocketed it.
When we arrived at the landing the
Swedish captain invited me on board his
| ship. We had been so intimate during
| our stay that the rest of our party could
not take offense at this preference; but
how anxious they were to know the con
tents of that motel I insisted that no
| gentleman could ask, nor would any
| divulge its contents, which justly be-
longed to its captor. Once on board, the
note was opened, when an agitation seized
the captain which made him appear to me
like lunatic.
Captain" he said, handing me tho
note, "you are married, and circum-
| stances have proved how much you love
your wife. l am unmarried, and have
fallen desperately in love. Help mo by
your advice. What shall 1 DO? My ship
| is ready to sail, and the wind is fair. I
| Go not own the vessel or cargo and there
| fore have no right to detain her. Read,
and tell me what to do"
AS my own marriage had been very
romantic, this affair was doubly exciting
| to me. The note was written in good
English hand, as follows:
81 know you are Christians, and will
save me from this life of degradation.
Entombed in this harem, from which
there is no other way Of escape, 1 appeal
| to you in mercy to save me. God, I
| know, will open your hearts, give wisdom,
and guide you tomorrow night to a
silken thread thrown from this window,
near where you found my note. TO the
thread attach your answer. Death awaits
discovery"
| The night was spent in devising means
of rescue. The captain swore upon the
Bible that he would marry her if rescued,
and if she would consent. Jewels are
most priced when most difficult to obtain.
/ was in full sympathy with his feelings,
and when the day broke our plan of ac-
ton had been determined. I saw that he
was untitled to 60 to sea, his head being
entirely turned, and TO ease his conscience
upon the point of his duty pointed out
| that the interest of all parties would be
served best if he should defer his de-
parture until the dark moon, when the
plan devised could be put into opera
ton. This would necessitate a delay of
| five days.
| Among our friends we were to pretend
| that no importance attached to the missive
which the lady had thrown out. AS
reason for his delay in not sailing the
Swedish captain was to say that he had
discovered leak in the ships top side
after he had loaded her, which made it
necessary to careen her for repairs. 1t re-
| quired much tact to avoid the captains
| with whom he had been in daily company,
and to make excuses to stay ashore late
every night. We stayed ashore to become
well acquainted with the guards, whom
we thought we could induce, by appearing
| to be half drunk and by q liberal use of
money, to open the gates for us at any
| time. The first night we half staggered
| up to the gate, handed the guards 100
piasters and then showed them our empty
pockets, whereupon they allowed us to
pass through the gate, pointing to their
| hearts to assure us that no one should
pass that way to modest us. Each Of lis
carried the usual paper lantern to illunli-
nate tho way, and we were well armed
with pistols and cutlasses During the
day we had paced the distance from the
| gate to the spot where we might expect to
find the thread, and we now had but to
pace off the same number Of steps in the
darkness. During the day also we had
not failed to show ourselves frequently in
the street to let the prisoner know we
meant to communicate with her.
We found the thread and attached our
note of reply, first putting out our lights
to avoid discovery. Softly pulling the
thread, we felt gentle strain in reply,
and the note was pulled up, to reach, we
prayed, the hands of her who SO anxiously
awaited it. On our return to the gate it
was Immediately opened when we had
knocked and the guard had recognized our